Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced that the state will implement a minimum wage of N85,000 for its workers, surpassing the N70,000 minimum wage approved by the Federal Government in July.
The announcement was made during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, where he emphasized that the decision was not made to outdo other states but rather because Lagos has the financial capacity to support it.
“I am glad to let you know that the minimum wage for Lagos, which we conversed and discussed with our union, is N85,000 today,” Sanwo-Olu said during the program.
President Bola Tinubu signed the new N70,000 minimum wage bill into law in July, concluding months of discussions between government officials, labor unions, and the private sector.
Lagos State’s decision to offer a higher wage reflects its recognition of the unique cost of living in the state. “It is not a competition, so I am not going to say we are paying more than some other people. It is a function of affordability and it is a function of capacity, but we know too well that when people live in Lagos, Lagos has a premium in terms of even the cost of living, we are fully aware,” the governor added.
Sanwo-Olu also revealed that the state had already increased workers’ salaries earlier in the year and expressed his ambition to raise the minimum wage to N100,000 by January 2025.
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“We actually increased salaries earlier in the year, and deserving so for our staff, and we will continue to do that. I would like to come back to you in January to say I have been able to increase the minimum wage of Lagos to N100,000 not because I want to make anybody look bad, it is really because I want my people to have a living wage, I want them to really be able to know that government is working for them,” he stated.
In the same interview, Sanwo-Olu shared his vision for Lagos, focusing on transforming the city into one that works for all its residents, regardless of their background.
He expressed his dream of having a Lagos with predictable journey times, which would significantly reduce the impact of the state’s notorious traffic congestion.
“The dream identity will be a Lagos that truly works for everyone, a Lagos where you can have predictable journey time. You can come out of your house or your office and be able to safely say that in 30 minutes, 35 minutes plus or minus 5 minutes, you can be able to get to a predictable destination,” he explained.
He further highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to create an enabling environment for businesses to grow and thrive in the state.
